London - As the world’s largest travel website, it carries reviews from tourists across the globe in 28 languages from Czech to Arabic to Vietnamese.
But TripAdvisor sparked furious complaints much closer to home when it banned submissions... in Welsh.
The firm, which boasts 170 million reviews from travellers in 47 countries, said the ancient tongue breached the website’s strict language guidelines.
Tour guide Emrys Llewelyn was stunned when his review of Nefyn Maritime Museum on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales, was denied and has now challenged the policy.
Calling it an “insult”, he said: “Welsh is one of the oldest languages in Europe. There is a fight afoot for the rights of our language and TripAdvisor are making fools of themselves.” His MP, Plaidd Cymru’s Hywel Williams, has joined the fight, adding: “Do they suppose that Welsh speakers do not use their service?”
There are more than half a million Welsh speakers in the UK and for many it is their first language.
TripAdvisor said Welsh could not yet be “fully integrated” into the site in order for experts to moderate reviews or detect fraud among entries.
Daily Mail